Now, although the old system is still partly in place, and still bringing improvements to people’s lives, it has to seek an accommodation with a new, modern, radical politics: press stunts, mobile telephones, Piss On Pity badges, anger. But the badge carried one of the rallying cries of the organisation that had set up this demonstration: the badge said, “Piss On Pity”.
Things are happening in the world of disability that never used to happen. And on its lapel was a badge that might have been taken wrongly by the shivering spectators – it might have been thought a satirical prcis of Mr Major’s position on disability. Stuck into the cement mixer was a life-size, floppy model of John Major. Or rather, the ambition was to have these items photographed by the press. A demonstration organiser – a wheelchair user – kept in touch with his office and with the media by mobile telephone, but also kept up the cry: “What do we want? Civil rights! When do we want them? Now!” A passer-by in an anorak – his evident mental instability qualifying him to be included in most definitions of disability – spat out the words, “You’re human shit”, and was moved on by the police. And they explained their unswerving opposition to the Government’s Disability Discrimination Bill – which was that day starting its Report Stage in the House of Commons.

With the wind rushing across Westminster Bridge, the protesters made their way from Parliament Square to Downing Street, where the ambition was to present John Major with the means to provide a ramp to his residence: cement, a cement mixer, a shovel. I intend to go on having Minis in London for ever.Interview by Katie Sampson. ON A freezing morning two weeks ago, 20 or 30 disabled people met outside Parliament to protest One man was blind, most of the others used wheelchairs. They spoke to Japanese television reporters and were photographed by teenage tourists from France and Germany. I’m not surprised that it’s a popular raver’s car because it’s low to the ground, it accelerates, and it has a real sense of speed – even at 30 it feels fast. Kenneth offended poor little Min so much he’s not been allowed in it since.Of course the Mini is now considered by the young to be out of date, but I think it will be everlasting. We often go to the theatre with Kenneth and Mary Baker, and the first time we picked them up Kenneth grumbled, making comments about tin-openers and that sort of thing.

I often give people lifts in my Mini; they are a bit surprised to see it but they end up loving it.However we had to stop using the Mini for Baker trips. Taxi-drivers tease me like hell, they tend to stop me and say: “Fallen on hard times have you, Guv?” But sometimes I get my driver to drive me to an official function in the Mini.This means that either people see the chauffeur standing outside the Mini waiting to meet me, or people are busy saying, “This Mini is in the way, get rid of it, can’t you see that there’s a Rolls-Royce behind you?” when my chauffeur hops out, runs around the car and opens the door for me. This means that Mary and I can go to the theatre, dinner, we can park outside on a sixpence and walk straight in and out. Last night, for example, we went to the Poussin exhibition and then on to dinner, parking outside both places with no difficulty at all, whereas large cars were searching for parking places for ages.Luckily I have never been clamped or towed away, although I think that the clamp would be bigger than the car. It’s a crimson colour, a dignified crimson not red – my other car is blue I have a stereo in the car, which is tuned to Radio 4. It has no stripes or motifs – good heavens no, my Mini doesn’t need that I feel very lucky to have it.

Indeed, I was at a traffic light the other day when someone rushed out of a restaurant and said: “Where can I get one of those?”Usually my driver takes the Daimler home at night and leaves the Mini for me, parked in the House of Lords car park. When you get into it there is a glorious smell from the red leather upholstery, all the panelling is in chestnut wood, it has electric windows and an 1800cc engine – in fact all the things you would find in a big car. When Kane and Abel was published and I was wealthy again, I bought both a new Daimler and a new Mini because I had realised what a wonderful car the Mini was.Someone told me that you could have them hand-made, so I got in touch with Wood and Pickett who very kindly made my Mini for me to my specifications.I must confess it is great fun having a one-off car. It wasn’t just sitting there, it was wiggling about, almost waving at me, but I was so hungry I picked it out and carried on eating.